cosmeticjargood

"Describing taste, texture and cooking processes in words feels like painting — I can see colour and smell aromas and feel the pleasure of it all. And it’s worked.Spirits in a Spice Jar by Sarina Kamini Westland pp. My younger brother is an artist and tattooist. Touch, texture and colour are a part of our family story. "That way I felt that I could write what I needed without fear. 499, Rs 332A person who dreamt of writing a book since primary school, she started it in her mid-30s when she began to feel that she had the emotional and life experiences to say what she wanted to say, and communicate her story without apology. I was so scared of hurting the people whom I loved, but the story was so big inside me that it just had to get out. Writing about food allows me to express myself through a medium I intrinsically understand," explains Sarina. "The book is me. For me, that sensory attachment is to food. Writing the book was my way of expunging the grief and trauma. My ammi was a tailor..Twelve months have been spent on writing Spirits in a Spice Jar, around work and family commitments. It was a very hard time for my family, as the book took so much of me. I feel that all of the choices I’ve made in my life have led me to the point of writing this book. By the end of a year of writing, she had lost weight and energy.Having begun her career as a food writer and critic at 22, writer Sarina Kamini, an Anglo-Indian author settled in Western Australia, was least surprised when food became the theme of her book Spirits in a Spice Jar that let her introspect. "All of that commitment to nature is, to me, like having an additional puja practice that I can carry outside my mandir and into my daily life," she concludes."She realised her urge to tell food stories after finishing her training as a journalist. I had to relive everything in order to get the words on the page. "I think food chose me," Airless Lotion Bottle for sale she says, adding, "My family is very sensory. My elder brother plays music and works in fashion. Much lighter."She used to imagine sitting and writing in a room surrounded by a concrete wall. Removing that story has given me room to grow and develop as a woman and as a human," says Sarina, who can be found among trees, and indulges in nude swimming in the Margaret river. Mum and Dad are fashion designers. I’m a different person now.Fill the jar with boiling water up to the neck and seal the jar tightly.Serve the dahi vada immediately or refrigerate and serve later.Sprinkle the red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala and black salt. Let it sit for 15-30 days.Preparing the vadas/fritters:Pick and rinse the lentils for 3-4 times in water.Stir and keep aside.Strain the pulp and keep aside. Mix the cabbage, carrots, spring onions and the kimchi paste thoroughlyBottle in an air-tight, 500 ml Mason jar and let sit for 3-12 days in a cool and dark place(The author is Executive Chef, Lokah restaurant, Kochi).Drain on paper towels.Sauerkraut1 head of green cabbage1 tsp canning salt1tsp sugar1 tsp vinegarMethod Cut the cabbage into thin ribbons and tightly pack into a 500-ml mason jar. Let the cabbage and salt mix sit for about 30 minutes and drain the additional moisture released by the salting process.When cooled, store the saunth chutney in an air-tight dry jar or container.Remove the ground batter from the grinder to a bowl.With your hands, squeeze the pulp from the tamarind in the same bowl or pan.Lower the flame & add cumin seeds and let them crackle. Remove from heatLet the chutney cool.When the oil becomes medium hot, add spoonfuls of the batter in the oil.